Friday, January 22, 2016

Coming Home by Melissa Frost

As a foster care child, Andi never
stays long in one place. She doesn't have a chance to connect with anyone—until
sexy, blue-eyed Devon walks into her life.

Devon claims
to have known her birth parents. He’s even got a photograph to prove it. He
shows up offering her everything she could ever want—a friend, a connection to
her family, and answers.

The only
problem is Devon’s friendship comes with a few complications attached. There’s
the fact that he’s a werewolf, and then there’s the territorial clan out to
start a war with Devon’s pack. What started as a simple journey to learn about
herself turns into a dangerous road trip that could get her killed.

If she can
survive, Andi just might get the answers that have been plaguing her, and she
might just fall in love with her new furry pal along the way.

“I’m still
not convinced.” She informed him of this in a tone that stated quite clearly
she thought him to be a liar. “You’ll have to try harder than that.”

At her
skepticism, Devon gave a grin that could only be described as devilish.
Climbing to his feet, he yanked the zipper down on his coat and shrugged out of
it. He tossed the coat into the snow before lifting his shirt over his head.

As if they
had a mind of their own, her eyes drank in the sight of his bare chest. He was
amazingly sculpted, his arm muscles bunching with every movement. His abs, which
appeared rock solid, mirrored the action. He even had an interesting scar along
his left shoulder that only seemed to add to his sex appeal. She cleared her
throat uncomfortably, willing her body to settle down. She didn’t usually get
so affected by boys.

When his
hands went to his belt buckle and began unfastening it, she gave a squeak of
objection. “What are you doing? Stop taking your clothes off!”

He grinned
over at her. “You wanted to see a werewolf, didn’t you? I’m just obliging.”

“But … but
…”

He stripped
out of his jeans with ease. “Werewolves aren’t freaked out by nudity, Andi. If
you remembered even the slightest bit about your history, you would know that.”

As his
briefs came down, her eyes lifted hurriedly to the sky. She gazed at the clouds
as if they were the most intriguing thing in the entire world. Which was a
complete farce. Standing before her was the first naked boy she’d ever been in
the presence of. She desperately wanted to sneak a peek, yet she was too
freaked out by the idea to even lower her gaze a fraction of an inch.

“Sheesh,
you’re such a human,” Devon said in complaint. “You’re such a prude that you’re
about to miss all the fun.”

Andi
scowled, but her gaze was still lifted skyward so she had no idea if he saw her
or not. As she stood awkwardly gazing at the clouds, she realized how
absolutely absurd this situation was. She was standing in the entrance to a
public park. With a naked boy. In the snow.

“This is
so—” Her protests broke off as an odd popping sound filled the air. She couldn’t
quite place it, but it felt so familiar. It was a noise she’d heard before, but
she couldn’t remember where.

Her eyes
lowered to Devon’s bare shoulders to find them shifting and cracking. His flesh
moved in such an unnatural way, she nearly cried out in alarm. Her own hand
pressing to her lips was the only thing that stopped the sound from escaping.

She watched
with morbid fascination as Devon’s body repositioned and changed itself into
something new. Before her very eyes, his entire being altered, and he
transformed into the shape of a wolf. It took no more than a minute or two, but
the time seemed to stretch on forever.

She
witnessed soft puffs of cream fur appear that seemed to burst right out of his
skin. His fingers elongated, the nails growing out into sharp claws. The urge
to run lasted a mere second before she was stepping forward in fascination.

Her fingers
outstretched toward the furry muzzle that had once been Devon’s nose. She
wasn’t frightened by him in the least. How could she be? He was the wolf!
The one she’d seen outside the school staring into her classroom window.

She knew
instantly he’d been there for her, watching over her as he awaited their
reunion. She bet he had seen it playing out quite differently. Closing her
eyes, she allowed her fingers to brush over the soft fur between his ears.

The
sensation of it shook her to the core. Her body remembered it, recalled it like
it was yesterday. Werewolf fur. She wasn’t sure if it was his fur in particular
that felt so much like home, or if it was werewolf fur in general. Either way,
it startled her just how much she longed to be near him in that moment.

Her eyes
snapped open, and she stumbled back, unsteady on her feet. This was far too
much to absorb in one afternoon. Her mind was racing, and she didn’t even know
where to begin. As a result, she simply plopped down into the snow, stunned.

About the Author:

Melissa Frost grew up loving young
adult novels and continues to immerse herself in the current authors on the
market.

In the
fifth grade, she won a writing competition to work with children’s author
Colleen O'Shaughnessy Mckenna, and it inspired her to write stories of her own.
She never looked back.